Antifriction screw and nut



June 21, 1949.

w. BARNES ANTIFRICTION SCREW AND NUT Filed Feb. 19, 1945 INVENTOR. WILLIAM B. BARNES Patented June 21, 1949 ANTIFRICTION SCREW AND NUT William B. Barnes, Muncie, Ind., assignor to Barnes Motor Developments Company, a partnership Application February 19, 1945, Serial No. 578,600

1 Claim.

The present invention relates to improvements in screw and nut structures.

It has for one of its objects that of providing a screw and nut structure whereby the friction between the parts is reduced to a minimum to provide easy running screw and nut structures whereby one of the members may be advanced axially relative to the other member, as a result of relative rotation with a minimum of application of power to the rotatable member.

Another object of the invention is to provide a ball bearing screw and nut structure, in which balls are adapted to operate in races formed between the threads of the two members and thereby, in effect, take the place of inter-engaging threads.

A further object of the invention is to provide a screw and nut structure in which balls or similar friction-reducing members are adapted to take the place of the inter-engaging threads of the ordinary commercial screw and nut, and provision is made whereby the balls will not be forced out of their helical raceways when they reach the end of a helix.

A further object of the invention is to provide means whereby balls which are substituted as the inter-engaging threads of a screw and nut structure which will be shifted back to the beginning of a helical raceway.

For the purpose of disclosing the invention an embodiment thereof is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a nut and screw embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, the nut being shown in sections;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a developed view of one of the helical raceways in the nut member; and

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the modification of the structure illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

In the embodiments of the invention illustrated, there is provided what may be termed a screw member I having a screw thread 2, the space between the threads forming a continuous helical groove comprising a ball race 3.

Operating on this screw member is a nut 4 having a pair of axially spaced apart internal ball races 5. Each of these races is in the form of a single helix 6. The ends of the helix of each race are connected by a crossover race I, preferably taking the form of a helix extending in the opposite direction of the helix 6 and the depth of this crossover gradually increases from its ends toward the center with the center portion 8 being suficiently deep to permit the balls 9 operating in the race to clear the top of the threads or race walls on the screw. There are sufficient balls 9 operating in the races to substantially fill each helix and its crossover on the nut 4. As a result of this arrangement, when the nut and threaded member are rotated relatively, as the balls approach the end of the helical raceway 5 on the nut member, they will gradually climb up, in the reverse helix crossover 1 until they can pass the top of the wall of the threaded member and drop back into the beginning of the helical race on the nut member.

By this arrangement, a nut and screw structure is provided wherein the friction between the parts is materially reduced to provide an extremely free running nut on a thread.

It is obvious that the threaded member may be the so-called nut member and that the helix may be arranged on the external surface of the other member.

It has been found that the friction between the parts is so far reduced that with the thread or shaft member supported for free rotation, very little pressure is required upon the nut member axially to cause rotation of the screw member, even where the screw member is provided with eight-pitch threads.

As illustrated in the drawings, in order to readily manufacture the structure, it is advantageous to cut the crossover helical race in a separate block l0 which may be inserted in an axially extending groove H in the nut.

Furthermore, in certain structures, it is frequently desirable to prevent a lash or looseness of the balls 9 in their races 3 and 5. In order to take up this lash and provide a relatively snug fit of the balls in the races, as illustrated in Fig. 5, the nut 4 may be longitudinally split and provided with extension ears l2. At this point, the insert block ID for the crossover race may be placed. For holding the split nut together, a bolt H may be passed through the ears I2 and in order to get the correct adjustments of the parts, shims l3 are interposed between the ears. The thickness or number of shims I3, of course, will determine th extent to which the nut 4 is drawn together to tighten up with respect to the ball races. In order to provide for this adjustment, the block lll' may have a loose fit in its socket so that a certain amount of adjustment may be provided at the ears. This block I0 may be held in position in any suitable manner, as by pins securing the same in place or otherwise.

What is claimed as new is:

A nut and screw structure comprising a nut member and a screw member, one of said members having a helical channel therein having a raceway connecting the ends of the helix and the other having a screw channel therein, friction reducing balls mounted in said channels and means for varying the diameter of said nut member.

WILLIAM B. BARNES.

4 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 439,660 Holmquist Nov. 4, 1890 582,074 Melhuish May 4, 1897 2,322,000 Douglas June 15, 1943 10 2,327,013 Briggs et a1 Aug. 17, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 129,196 Great Britain July 10, 1919 526,735 Great Britain Sept. 24, 1940 

